Sep 302023
 
Azeez Ojulari, New York Giants (August 21, 2022)

Azeez Ojulari – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 30, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring) did not practice on Saturday and has been ruled out of Monday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. “He practiced a little bit in individual two days ago, just wasn’t feeling right, didn’t practice him yesterday,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll. “He won’t make the game… He went through a few little drills (on Thursday), didn’t feel right, we took him out right away and just want to make sure the player’s ready to go and do the necessary rehab and stuff. So, I’d say it’s week to week. Whether he’ll be ready next week, I’m not sure. Really week to week.”

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), TE Daniel Bellinger (neck), DL D.J. Davidson (elbow), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were limited in practice. OL Ben Bredeson (concussion) fully practiced. Barkley has officially been ruled “doubtful” for the game while the other four players are expected to be available.

“Saquon will practice, do a little bit more,” said Daboll before Saturday’s practice. “We’ll see where he’s at and take it right up to game time.”

“Yeah, it’s a high ankle sprain,” Barkley said after practice.

“(Ojulari) had a good week,” said Daboll. “He had good practice yesterday. Feels good, practiced well. So, unless something happens today, counting on him being there.”

THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Their is no media availability to the Giants on Sunday. The team plays the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium on Monday night.

Sep 292023
 
Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants (September 21, 2023)

Daniel Bellinger – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring) did not practice on Friday after practicing on Thursday. Head Coach Brian Daboll said “Let’s give it a couple of days before making a decision.”

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), TE Daniel Bellinger (neck), DL D.J. Davidson (elbow), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were limited in practice. OL Ben Bredeson (concussion) fully practiced.

THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The team practices again on Saturday (11:45AM-1:15PM). Head Coach Brian Daboll, the position coaches, and select players will also address the media.

Sep 282023
 
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (September 17, 2023)

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Everyone on the 53-man roster practiced on Thursday.

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), TE Daniel Bellinger (neck), LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), DL D.J. Davidson (elbow), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were limited in practice. OL Ben Bredeson (concussion) fully practiced.

“So, everybody will practice today,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll. “Some in a limited role, but we’ll see where they go from individual, team, but they’re all practicing today.”

When specifically asked about Barkley, Daboll responded, “Going to put him out here, go through some individual stuff, let him run around and see how he does. But again, making progress. I think this is a good evaluation today in pads to see where he’s at.”

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Thursday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The team practices again on Friday afternoon (12:45-2:45PM). The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Sep 262023
 
Brian Daboll and Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (July 26, 2023)

Brian Daboll and Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Tuesday (VIDEO):

Q: Injury updates?

A: Injury. Yeah, that’s okay. That’ll come out on Thursday. I’ll just say everybody has been rehabbing, they’re getting better. I’ll give you an update on Thursday but we’re making progress with everybody who has been on that report or missed, we’re making progress.

Q: Is (guard Ben) Bredeson in protocol still?

A: No, he’ll be good to go. Ben will be good to go.

Q: What is (running back) Saquon (Barkley) able to do today?

A: Well, we’re doing kind of a jog through, so I don’t think he’ll do much today. But he’s really now, I’d say, in the day-to-day category. Feels a lot better today but we’ll kind of take that all the way throughout the week and see how he improves.

Q: (Tackle) Andrew (Thomas) a lot better?

A: He’s better, yep. Again, we’ll get here Thursday, get out here and give them a couple more days but I’d say all of them are making progress.

Q: Nothing from the game is long term?

A: No. Nope.

Q: If Andrew returns, do you have some decisions to make about offensive line and how you want to configure it? I think you’ve had three different configurations in three games.

A: Yeah, I’d say if those guys are back, it’ll look like it looked when Ben and Andrew were out – when they were back playing. But again, we’ll see where they’re at. I don’t want to make a decision right now. We’ll see where we’re at Thursday.

Q: Does that mean you’ll stick with (offensive lineman Marcus) McKethan at that other guard spot?

A: Yeah. Yep.

Q: What has he shown you?

A: I think he’s done a good job. Again, he’s only played a couple games, he was out all last season. Improving. Big body, moves well, so again, the experience that he’s played in the first couple of games will help him.

Q: You guys were, I know it’s a different year but very effective as a running team last year, especially early in the season and it helped you guys a lot. Is there part of you that wants to get back to that this year and obviously it’s difficult to do against a team like Seattle, who is very good at stopping the run.

A: I’d say again, each week we’ll look at the team, we’ll do what we need to do. We really need to improve in every area so that’s certainly one of them.

Q: How do you feel about the way the cornerback configuration has worked out after three games? Moving (cornerback) Adoree’ (Jackson), getting (cornerback) Tre (Hawkins III) in there?

A: I’d say again, much like the run game, everything’s a work in progress. We’ve got to get better in a lot of areas and that’s what we’re going to try to do.

Q: But you’re comfortable with it? Nothing you would change.

A: Yeah. Look, each week we’ll go into it and we’ll look at how guys are doing. They’ve been competing but there are a lot of improvements that need to be made.

Q: When you come back after a little longer break, do you treat it in terms of with the players as a reset a little bit?

A: Not really. They’ve had a couple of days off, been grinding on some things as a coaching staff. Again, this week is its own week, like every NFL week, and we’ve got to do everything we can to get ready to play a really good team that’s won the last two games, scored 37 points in each game, and continue to work on our process, refine things that we need to refine, improve things we need to improve and have a good week.

Q: You obviously embrace the process every week, process over results, but there is also urgency I’d imagine. I know you attack every week with urgency but the next time you take the field for a game, it’s in October already. The season flies by very quickly. How do you in your communication with the team express that on the daily basis?

A: You have to live in the moment in our profession and you have to address the things that need to be addressed each week. Every year is different, every week is different. It’s a week-to-week league so stay in the moment, focus on the things we need to improve on, all of us, and that’s what we try to do every week. There’s urgency every week. This is a one-game season – every game is a one-game season. You just focus on doing the best you can do each week, prepare the right way, and then ultimately go out there and perform the right way.

Q: Seven days between when you’re playing, and you said you’re doing a walkthrough today —

A: Yeah, so we’re going to make it a normal week leading up. We’re going to get an extra day here with our mental reps. The guys have been in working in the weight room, doing their conditioning stuff. We’ve been working on Seattle, so this is a really good day to go ahead and implement the game plan, the first and second down stuff. Come out here and have a good mental day and then we’ll treat it (like) the normal week. So tomorrow will be like a Tuesday and Thursday will be like a Wednesday.

Q: After the game some of the 49er’s players said “yeah, we knew that they were going to blitz, and they were going to keep blitzing.” (49ers quarterback Brock) Purdy ended up saying something like “it’s a four-quarter game” meaning that they were able to adjust. Do you have any concerns about the level of blitzing or the fact that when it doesn’t get home what happens?

A: I think each week you go into a gameplan with the things you need to do and throughout the game you’re always adjusting. So, it’s not just the first quarter, second quarter, maybe it’s a different blitz, maybe it’s not a blitz. Focus on the things we can improve on and keep improving.

Q: Does the CBA allow you to have a practice today or are you only allowed to have like three practices?

A: The way we set this up was come back, have this right here, have this walkthrough/jog through, have some good meetings. Take tomorrow to go ahead and as a coaching staff, kind of adjust things that we’ve talked about and then just have a normal week. That’s the way we’ve planned it out.

Q: Obviously, the tackling has been a problem, right? The missed tackles in the games. What can you do during the season, how much can get guys in pads, how much do you believe in getting guys in pads and working on that throughout the season?

A: Yeah, we’ll be in pads Thursday. And again, you are always focusing on your fundamentals, so we do that every practice, whether that’s press coverage, tackling, ball disruption, shedding blocks. Those are things that you work on. Same thing with the offense, double teams, pass protection, games, pass protection for the backs, press releases, those are things that you constantly evaluate. Leading up to a week and getting ready for, in this case Seattle, you always adjust practice and things individual wise or maybe team wise of things that you are really putting an emphasis on.

Q: So, you plan to do more practicing tackling wise with what you can?

A: We normally, like during the early part of the year, we normally practice once a week in pads and that’s an important day for us.

Q: (Defensive lineman) Leonard Williams said last week before the game, so that with context, but the idea of if you don’t have sacks defensively and you don’t have takeaways, sometimes you chase that and was very conscious of saying we can’t do that. Do you see that a little bit defensively that maybe guys are starting to chase things, that you kind of have to reel them back in again and focus on what you need to focus on?

A: Yeah, I think it’s important that we all do our job. And again, those are points of emphasis every week of creating some negative plays or getting turnovers and we’ve got to continue to work them during the week and ultimately we’ve got to get them done on Sunday. Monday.

Q: Do you think too much pressure can cause a quarterback to see it when it’s not there because it’s just so often happening that they have to get sped up in the process.

A: In the pocket?

Q: Yeah.

A: I think there is always an element to that. When you can affect the quarterback, I think it speeds up things. Again, there is always when you are game planning, shorter routes, get it out quicker, less of the protection. You want to run deep routes, you have some more protection in. So, definitely an area that we’ve got to improve is making sure that we give our quarterback a clean pocket and it’s not just always the line. There is backs involved, there is timing in the passing the game, there is receivers getting open, so it’s really a collective thing when it comes to that.

Q: Is there anything you can glean from last year’s game against Seattle or is it two completely different teams?

A: No, you certainly look at it. They have the same coordinators. That’s something that you go back, like you are playing a team that’s right there in your division. They are in our conference, we played them at their place, hard place to play at, obviously with some noise and things like that, but certainly some matchups and things that they’ve done. (Seahawks head coach) Pete’s (Carroll) done a heck of a job; he’s been there for a long time. Some of the same players, obviously some different players, but yeah that’s definitely a game you watch and evaluate.

Q: Is there anything you can do as a coach to get your team to start faster? I think the number is 77 to 6 or something like that.

A: Yeah, not very good. So, we are working on it, yeah, we are working on it.

Q: Can you open up like in a no-huddle offense or just things to put an offense …

A: Yeah, you can do a lot of different things. Something we need to do better collectively and something that will be, it’s always a point of emphasis, hasn’t shown up, understand that. No excuses for it, so we are working on that.

Q: With Saquon how much do you factor or how much have you talked to him about, he’s had ankle injuries before, right? He’s had that before, he’s come back, hasn’t played at the level that he’s like and then in retrospect has basically said I might’ve come back too early, so how much have you talked to him about that and how much do you factor that in?

A: Yeah, again, to me I think every injury is different, even though it’s the same body part. Let him rehab, let him get with the trainers, get a feel for where he’s at. Let’s talk to the trainers and see where they are at with his injury and then make the decision when it comes time to make the decision, but he’s getting better. We’ll see how it goes.

Q: Do you see (offensive lineman) Josh Ezeudu now as a swing tackle or is he still a reserve guard or a reserve tackle?

A: I think he can play four spots for us. So, both tackle spots and then he can also go inside and play, having done that some, so I think he’s done a good job of filling in, but he has, I’d say, four-position flex for us.

Q: Is there as much value or maybe even more value in Ezeudu playing that role than it is to, you know what we’ve got to get him to as one of our five guys. I mean I know you would play him if he was one of your five, but the value of having a guy like that, that you know if someone goes down you can plug him in four or five spots, I would imagine that’s pretty high in this day and age.

A: That’s why we move guys around a bunch during the preseason and training camp months because you can. If you’re not starting five, you better have some position flexibility to play multiple spots, so certainly an important aspect for us.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the team on Wednesday as the players have the day off. The Giants practice on Thursday afternoon (12:45-2:45PM) with Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players also addressing the media.

Sep 222023
 

Kayvon Thibodeaux and Isaiah Simmons – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Friday to discuss his team’s 30-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers:

Q: What’s gone on with the tackling? Why do you think it’s been so poor this season, particularly last night?

A: Yeah, definitely an area we’ve got to get better at. We’ll continue to work at it every week, but it’s something that we’ve got to do a better job of.

Q: Do you see an issue? A lot of times guys are either going high or going for strips. Is that something you see? Is it a technique issue? What do you see?

A: Yeah, I’d say it’s just overall not where we need to be. So, we’ll continue to work at it. That’s an area that’s got to get better.

Q: As far as (wide receiver) Jalin (Hyatt), he played 16 snaps last night. What does he need to do or show to get more playing time?

A: I don’t think we had very many snaps on offense in general. I think we had 45 or 46. So, there’s a plan for Jalin, a plan for all the guys, and based on personnel that we choose to use on a given play, it could be more, it could be about the same. So, we’ll keep on giving him reps and hopefully we have more than 45 plays in a game.

Q: You’re saying that there was a plan for Hyatt to have a bigger role that you guys didn’t get to due to the game? Is that what you’re saying?

A: No. What I’m saying is on the call sheet you have however many plays and they’re tagged with different personnel groups and those are the plays that we called and the personnel groups we used.

Q: What accounts for not rushing the ball a lot in this game particularly with (quarterback) Daniel (Jones)? We’ve seen you utilize his running skills frequently and just didn’t seem like he ever got going running the ball. What was the reason for that you think?

A: We had a few of them in the game plan, didn’t get to them. That’s the reason.

Q: I remember (Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) saying whereas on your offensive side you guys were adding a bunch of new pieces this year, Wink was really excited in training camp about year two of the system with so many guys back taking a natural step forward. Why do you think that hasn’t happened for your defense? Because it certainly seems like guys are more out of position and it doesn’t seem like they’ve all taken the step that Wink was expecting.

A: I’d say really in all three phases, we’ve got to do a better job, everybody.

Q: How much of a concern would you it is? Obviously, teams expect their highest paid players or their biggest investments to step up and when you guys played the Eagles in the playoffs, Dallas, or the 49ers, these teams with really good lines, it seems like (outside linebacker Kayvon) Thibodeaux, (defensive lineman) Dexter (Lawrence) and (defensive lineman) Leonard (Williams), the guys you’re really invested in, have been quiet in those games. I know you’re one of those guys who believes it starts up front, so is more needed out of those three guys?

A: Yeah, I’d just say we need more from everybody. Coaching, playing, everybody.

Q: You are one of those guys, right? One of those it starts up front guys.

A: Yeah, the game is a line of scrimmage game at the start of it, but we need more from everybody.

Q: We’re at kind of a natural breaking point of the schedule, I know it’s still early. Do you have a sense yet of what the identity of this team is going to be moving forward?

A: I’d say we have a lot of improvement to do and that’s what we’re going to do. Try to improve.

Q: I know there was a lot of after the whistle stuff last night. Did you have a problem with how (defensive lineman) D.J. Davidson got hurt? Seemed like he was long away from the ball after the whistle.

A: It was a physical game. A lot of emotions, so hopefully he’ll be okay.

Q: What is your day like today? Have you gone to sleep at all, or would you just say it’s a regular day?

A: No, I didn’t get back until about 8-8:30. Not too much sleep so a lot of things that need to be done. Talk with the coaches later. Such as the case on long trips.

Q. When you play teams like the Cowboys and the 49ers and you get the score you get and the results you get and obviously you were depleted last night, but how far do you feel like you are from being an elite team and what do you think you have to do to get there?

A: Yeah, I mean my focus right now is just improving here. There is a lot of stuff we can improve on and that’s what we are going to try and do.

Q. You mentioned, obviously you’ve got to get better at tackling, how do you do that at this stage of the season? You’re through training camp, you don’t hit a lot during the season, I mean during practice, so how do you go about that during the season?

A: I mean you work different tackling drills every week. You do that as a defense every week. We’ll continue to find ways to help these guys be better at their craft in terms of bringing people down and wrapping up. Something we’ve got to work on.

Q. You guys had mostly walk through practices last week. During a week like that, it seemed like (guard Mark) Glowinski played a pretty good game filling in at left guard against the Cardinals. How do you come to the conclusion to start (guard) Shane (Lemieux) over him, given those circumstances?

A: Yeah, we just put him in at left and Mark was going to be right or the backup guy. That’s what we did.

Q. How does that work in a week like that?

A: Well, you have a body of work, you have discussions, you have discussions with the offensive staff. I have input and we just made that decision. Both teams had walkthrough practices, but that’s the decision we made.

Q. Going back to Jalin real quick, is there a bit of a learning curve for somebody who obviously just played three games and is there just that big of a learning curve which is why maybe he hasn’t been targeted as much because he has to kind of figure out a little bit?

A: No, I mean we put him in plays to try and target him. We will continue to do that, we’ll continue to work, and we rolled all our guys in there last night.

Q. I was just wondering if you saw the NFL’s explanation on the (49ers tackle) Trent Williams punch, that they didn’t see anything definitive and if that’s hard to reconcile?

A: Yeah, I heard that, but again those guys have got a tough job to do out there and that’s really all I’ve got to say on that.

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Saturday and Sunday with the players off. Select players will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Sep 222023
 
Brian Daboll, New York Giants (September 21, 2023)

Brian Daboll – © USA TODAY Sports

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers 30 – NEW YORK GIANTS 12…
The New York Giants kept it close for a while, but they were soundly defeated 30-12 on Thursday night by a clearly better San Francisco 49ers team at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The Giants are now 1-2 on the season.

Statistically, the game was not close. The 49ers dramatically out-gained the Giants in offensive snaps (78 to 46), first downs (26 to 10), total net yards (441 to 150), net yards rushing (141 to 29), net yards passing (300 to 121), and time of possession (39:10 to 20:50). The 49ers were also 9-of-16 on 3rd down (56 percent) while the Giants were only 3-of-12 (25 percent).

Most of the 1st quarter was taken up by each team’s opening possession. The 49ers received the football to start the game, driving 64 yards in 15 plays. However, the New York defense stiffened at their own 11-yard line with three straight incompletions by quarterback Brock Purdy. The 49ers settled for a 28-yard field goal.

The Giants’ first drive gained 49 yards on 12 plays. Place kicker Graham Gano converted on his 44-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3 with 3:18 left in the quarter. San Fransisco picked up one first down and then punted the ball away on their second possession. The Giants then went three-and-out.

It was in the 2nd quarter where the 49ers began to pull away. San Fransisco’s third offensive possession was an 11-play, 72-yard drive resulted in a 9-yard touchdown pass. After a second consecutive three-and-out by the Giants, the 49ers put together a virtually identical scoring drive, this one traveling 73 yards in 11 plays with running back Christian McCaffrey scoring from four yards out. The 49ers were now up 17-3 with 1:40 left in the half.

On New York’s fourth and final possession of the first half, the team did manage to put another field goal on the board after picking up 37 yards on eight plays. Gano’s 57-yard field goal cut the score to 17-6 at the break.

The two teams exchanged punts early in the 3rd quarter. The 49ers were flagged with a 15-yard fair catch interference penalty, setting up the Giants on the San Fransisco 37-yard line to start their second possession of the half. After a 7-yard pass, the 49ers were also flagged with a 22-yard pass interference penalty at the 8-yard line. On the very next snap, running back Matt Breida scored from eight yards out, cutting the score to 17-12. The 2-point conversion failed.

The 49ers responded with another 11-play drive that gained 72 yards. The New York defense stiffened again the red zone, holding the 49ers to a 21-yard field goal. San Fransisco extended their lead to 20-12.

The Giants went three-and-out and punted the ball away. The 49ers then drove 51 yards in eight plays to set up a 36-yard field goal that made the score 23-12 early in the 4th quarter. Down by 11 points with 12:47 to play, New York needed to make something happen. But the result was another three-and-out. The 49ers then put the game to bed with an 8-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 27-yard touchdown throw. With just under six minutes to play, the 49ers had a commanding 30-12 advantage.

The Giants gained two of their 10 first downs on the ensuing drive. But this ended with an interception after quarterback Daniel Jones’ pass went off the hands of tight end Darren Waller with 3:39 left in the game. The last few minutes were uneventful as the game had already been decided.

Jones completed 22-of-32 passes for 137 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. He was sacked twice and only gained five rushing yards on two carries. His leading receiver was Parris Campbell with six catches for just 24 yards. The team’s leading ground gainer was Breida with just 17 yards on four carries.

Defensively, for the third game, the Giants did not force a turnover. They did accrue their first two sacks of the season, one by linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and half sacks by defensive linemen Leonard Williams and D.J. Davidson. Linebacker Micah McFadden lead the team with 10 tackles, including four for losses. However, the defense did give up 441 offensive yards and six scoring drives.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
The Giants activated (standard elevation) OL Jaylon Thomas and OLB Oshane Ximines from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.

Inactive for the game were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), OG Ben Bredeson (concussion), OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring), DL Jordon Riley, CB Cor’Dale Flott, and S Gervarrius Owens.

CB Deonte Banks (arm) and DL D.J. Davidson (elbow) left the game with injuries. X-rays on Banks’ arm were negative, but he will undergo an MRI on Friday. RT Evan Neal appeared to injure his ankle late in the game but said he was OK.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Brian Daboll and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

  • Head Coach Brian Daboll (Video)
  • QB Daniel Jones (Video)
  • WR Wan’Dale Robinson (Video)
  • DL Dexter Lawrence (Video)
  • OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (Video)
  • ILB Bobby Okereke (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll will address the media by conference call on Friday.

Sep 192023
 
Ben Bredeson, New York Giants (September 17, 2023)

Ben Bredeson – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
With the Giants playing on Thursday night, the team will only be able to have a couple of walkthrough practices before the next game. The Giants did issue the following injury report as a projection on Tuesday:

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) and OG Ben Bredeson (concussion) did not practice in Tuesday’s walkthrough.

LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), ILB Micah McFadden (neck), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were limited in practice.

Head Coach Brian Daboll would not rule out Barkley from playing on Thursday against the 49ers. “I wouldn’t count on that, not just yet,” said Daboll. “I’m not saying that he’s out yet. He’s a quick healer. I’m not saying he’s in, he’s out. We are going to take it all the way up with him to Thursday, but he feels a lot better today. I just talked to him. So, we will see where we are at.

“(McFadden) should be ready to go…. I would say Azeez and (Thomas) are kind of in the Saquon deal. We’ll take that right up all the way to Thursday. And Ben, I don’t think Ben will pass protocol in this short amount of time. So, I’d say he’s leaning more towards out.”

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday (VIDEO):

Q: In a week like this, it’s all walkthroughs, right? I guess you’re outside for the walkthroughs, right?

A: No, we go inside. We go in the indoor at Arizona State.

Q: It’s not going to be 100 degrees in San Francsico so it’s no reason to do that I guess is the reasoning?

A: Yeah, it’s 100 degrees outside so we go inside for the walkthrough.

Q: What do you look to see in those things because they’re walkthroughs? You can’t do anything physical with these guys, obviously a day or two after the game. What is it all about preparing for a Thursday night game?

A: You start out with special teams walkthrough and go through all the phases of that. It’s really mental because it is such a short week. It’s hard on these guys, obviously, they’re taking care of their bodies. Then we go to offense and defense and spend I’d say quite a bit of time on going through our game plan and some of the looks that we’ll see, albeit a slowed down tempo pace but it’s really a mental week of practice to get ready for a Thursday night game. On top of that, they’re in the training room, they’re doing their prehab, they’re doing all the things that they need to do to prepare their bodies to play in a short time frame.

Q: Do you feel as a coaching staff that you can put everything into a Thursday night game that you can as a Sunday game? As far as “we’ve got to stick to this.” Do you think you can unload it all in that much time?

A: Well, you plan – you know when you’re playing and you plan accordingly throughout the offseason, towards the end of the offseason, through training camp and you put things in that you know you’re probably going to use in a short timeframe. Done that kind of everywhere I’ve been. The plays, it’s not like you’re adding 1000 new plays, you don’t do that to the players. You want them to play fast and make sure they know what to do. But certainly, there’s always a game plan element to it and the coaches, there hasn’t been a lot of sleep but that’s the way it goes on these types of games. Make sure you can put together something that those guys can go out there and execute, know what to do, play fast with and then for them to take care of their bodies and do what they need to do to get ready to play in a short time frame.

Q: I wanted to ask you about the run defense. It looked like last week in particular against the Cardinals that guys were not just winning at the point of attack. When you look at it, what are you seeing and assuming that my observation is correct, where does that rank in priority to fix it?

A: We’re going to try to improve really every area of our football team where we’re at but again, run defense is really team defense. It’s controlling the line of scrimmage, it’s making sure we have good run fits and run support. It takes all 11 guys. Just like really every play whether it’s run defense, the pass offense, the screen game, whatever it may be, it just comes down to executing your responsibility for the collective part of the unit.

Q: I know you’ve been playing a lot of two-man defensive line fronts. Would you consider changing that up a little bit? Especially going up against (49ers running back Christian) McCaffrey?

A: I’d say we play a lot of fronts. (Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) has pretty much every front you can have. Again, each week we sit down, we talk about the things we need to improve on and put together a plan we think will work for that game and then we’ve got to go out there and execute it.

Q: What makes (49ers Head Coach) Kyle Shanahan’s offense so challenging?

A: He’s done this for a long time. He has a ton of experience. He has, I’d say, a number of plays that he’s run throughout his past and he’s always evolving. That’s what I appreciate about Kyle. He’s a heck of a football coach. He creates, I’d say, a lot of issues, whether that’s run force issues, whether that’s making plays look exactly the same and setting things up. He’s a timely play caller. He’s an excellent coach.

Q: As far as (running back) Saquon (Barkley), I don’t know if you care to share anything on his timeline, but obviously he’s going to be out for at least some time.

A: I wouldn’t count on that, not just yet.

Q: Okay, safe to say he will be out on Thursday night?

A: I’m not saying that he’s out yet. He’s a quick healer. I’m not saying he’s in, he’s out. We are going to take it all the way up with him to Thursday, but he feels a lot better today. I just talked to him. So, we will see where we are at.

Q: If he wasn’t ready, how comfortable are you with (running back) Eric Gray particularly in pass protection? I know that’s always a big thing for rookie running backs.

A: I’d say the three guys that we have behind Saquon, they are all here for a reason. We are comfortable with all those guys. Whether that’s run or pass. Certainly things that we could all improve on, but they are all here for a reason and if he’s out there, we have confidence in him.

Q: Especially given the personnel that you have up front, does your lack of sacks surprise you and what can you guys do to try to get more pressure and get a few sacks moving forward?

A: Obviously, we want to create some negative plays, whether that’s negative run plays or pass plays. We got to do a good job of getting them to those pass situations, controlling first down so they can’t play the game on their terms.

Q: I was wondering if you would address the challenges that are Christian McCaffrey and also (49ers defensive lineman Nick) Bosa on the other side of the ball, obviously.

A: Yeah, well I’d say just on both sides, those two guys are heck of a players, they’ve got a lot of good players on their team. A team full of Pro Bowlers or All-Pros, whether it’s McCaffrey, (49ers wide receiver) Deebo Samuel, (49ers wide receiver Brandon) Aiyuk, Bosa, (49ers defensive lineman Javon) Hargrave, (49ers linebacker Fred) Warner, I mean the list goes on and on. I’d say their team is well constructed. (49ers General Manager) John Lynch has done a great job along with Kyle and there is a lot of challenges with this team in a number of areas.

Q: With (running back Matt) Breida, I understand what you just said about Saquon, I assume at some point we will still see Breida Thursday night, likely, possibly. What do you like about his game? You had him in Buffalo, you now have him here, clearly you like the player.

A: Yeah, I mean he’s a pro. He knows what to do, he knows how to do it, he’s done it for a while. He’s got speed, he’s got some quickness about him. He’s had some productive years as a runner, he was at San Francisco. He’s just a pro and he knows our system well and we have confidence in him.

Q: I’m curious if Saquon was unable to go, how much more does that put on (quarterback) Daniel’s (Jones) shoulders? Obviously, Saquon is a big part of this offensive scheme, you’ve run a lot through him in the past, does that change much, what you need from Daniel in that case?

A: Look, Daniel has got his job to do, just like the running backs have their job, the receivers, the offensive line. It’s individually taking care of your responsibility, whatever that maybe and doing your job at a high level.

Q: I know you didn’t want to rule Saquon out. Does the fact that you have 11 days between the games, how much does that factor into how you guys handle him?

A: I think it all factors in, but ultimately I go back to the player and see where he’s at. He’s made considerable progress, just in a day and a half or however many days we’ve been out here. Again, we will go all the way up there to the start on Thursday and see where we are at.

Q: I just wanted to ask about (inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden), he was added to the injury report yesterday with a neck injury, what happened and how’s he doing?

A: He’s good, he will be fine.

Q: Will he be available for Thursday then?

A: Yeah, he should be. He should be ready to go.

Q: Did anybody ask you why you lined up for two down eight before the penalty on (wide receiver) Parris (Campbell)?

A: No, they didn’t.

Q: I know that’s an analytical thing. What’s the math or thinking behind that? Is it that you get two-point conversions more than one out of every two times, so if you don’t get it, you have a second chance to get it? What’s the math and the thinking behind going for two down eight?

A: You answered it.

Q: It’s really that? One out of two is better than 50 percent?

A: Yeah, if you get the two, then you win it with an extra point. If you don’t, you still have another opportunity to go for two again and tie it up.

Q: And math suggests that you’re going to be successful at least one out of two times?

A: Yeah, I mean, that’s something that I talk with (Director of Football Data and Innovation) Ty (Siam) and (Offensive Assistant/Game Manager) Cade (Knox) about. We actually go through that situation quite a bit each week. And this week, where we were in the game, how the game was going, we felt comfortable with that decision.

Q: Is it relative to time in the game too?

A: I’d say all that plays into it. All that plays into it.

Q: I guess this is probably a good problem to have, but if you have seven healthy receivers, can you have all those guys active? Or does somebody end up as an odd man out if (wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson) is able to play?

A: No, we can have them all active.

Q: In terms of the week, we know how challenging it is for you guys to put things in to get ready for San Francisco and obviously physically for the players, and mentally. But the flip side of that is you guys are spending all this time together out here on the road. Is there any part of this trip that as challenging as it is may galvanize his team a little bit and bring you guys closer? You kind of had that last year when you went to London. I’m just curious for something out of the ordinary, do you like seeing things from your team that you may not see when you’re home?

A: They spend a lot of time together obviously when you’re on the road, but a lot of that is meetings and we go from 7:30 to late afternoon, call it, early evening. I’m sure they spend time getting a meal together, but it’s really dialed in right here. You have such a short timeframe to do all your preparations. It’s kind of like it is back home, if you will, relative to the meetings, we do the walkthrough, kind of like we do the walkthrough, maybe a little bit more extended, come back, have position meetings, and then instead of those guys going home, they spend some time together in the hotel or out to dinner.

Q: Any knowledge yet on whether (tackle) Andrew Thomas is going to go, or (outside linebacker) Azeez Ojulari, (guard) Ben Bredeson, those guys?

A: I would say Azeez and AT (tackle Andrew Thomas) are kind of in the Saquon deal. We’ll take that right up all the way to Thursday. And Ben, I don’t think Ben will pass protocol in this short amount of time. So, I’d say he’s leaning more towards out, if you will.

Q: Just clarify on Saquon. There were some reports that he was going to be out three weeks, two to three weeks. Are you saying that those timelines are not accurate?

A: I just think with every injury, until you’re with the player, you see the player… I don’t know, you might heal a little bit different than I heal, I might heal a little bit different than another player heals. So, again, Saquon is, I’d say he’s a lot better than maybe I thought he would be, or some other people thought he would be today. So again, he might heal a little bit different than another player, if you will. So, we’ll just take it day-to-day with him and if he can make it, great. If he can’t, we’ll see if he can get better by the following week, and we’ll just take it one day at a time.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Wednesday as the team travels to California from Arizona. The Giants play the 49ers on Thursday night.

Sep 182023
 
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (September 17, 2023)

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
With the Giants playing on Thursday night, the team will only be able to have a couple of walkthrough practices before the next game. The Giants did issue the following injury report as a projection on Monday:

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) and OG Ben Bredeson (concussion) did not practice in Monday’s walkthrough.

LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), ILB Micah McFadden (neck), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were limited in practice.

According to ESPN, the MRI on Barkley’s ankle showed an “ordinary” ankle sprain rather than the more troublesome high-ankle sprain. ESPN reports Barkley is expected to miss three weeks while The NFL Network is saying Barkley is “week-to-week.”

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday (VIDEO):

Q: I was wondering if you have anything on (running back) Saquon (Barkley) and where that stands at the moment?

A: He’s still getting evaluated. I’d say with all the guys coming out of last night’s game and those that were injured prior, we’ve really got walkthrough/jog through so all of them we’ll kind of take right up to game time and see where we’re at. And again, guys like Saquon from last night he’s still getting evaluated by the medical personnel.

Q: What’s the logistics to that being that you’re in Arizona? Where does he go to get checked?

A: (Head Athletic Trainer) Ronnie (Barnes) takes care of all that. Whether you need an MRI, an x-ray, whatever it may be, Ronnie will take care of that with all the players. We’ve done a good job of kind of getting out in front of it before we got out here in terms of what we need to do and that’s kind of where we’re at with it.

Q: If you have to play without him, how big of a loss is it? You played him 65-67 snaps. That’s a huge number for a running back.

A: Whatever it is, we’ll have a plan ready to go. If he can play, he can play and if he can’t then we’ll have the other guys prepared and ready to go.

Q: There was some reports last night that he avoided a major injury. Is there any feeling on that regard?

A: No, he’s literally getting looked at as we speak so I don’t have the update on it because he’s still being evaluated. I’m hopeful. Haven’t talked to him this morning before he went to get further tests, but I don’t want to speculate until I have the full information.

Q: (Wide receiver) Jalin Hyatt, I think he had 89 yards on 14 snaps. Is that something where his role needs to increase going forward?

A: I think each week we talk about personnel and, again, how the game goes and what we’re trying to get accomplished. All those receivers will play and, again, one week it could be more, one week it could be less, but he was productive in his role yesterday and we’ll just keep trying to improve him.

Q: (Guard) Mark Glowinski started every game last year and has been a veteran in the league. When you bench a guy like that after one game, do you think that sends a message to the rest of the team at all?

A: That’s not the reason why you do it. We sit down, you have those conversations with the staff, then you sit down with the player. Mark was a pro about it. He was ready to go when he got put back in. I know he’s always been a right guard and then we played him at left guard during training camp and it showed up. So, he was a pro about it, that’s a decision we made and he handled it the right way.

Q: This early in the season, what sticks with you more? The comeback in the second half or the way you started the game in the first.

A: Whether it’s early or in the middle part of the season, all you’re trying to do is improve. There’s plenty of things we can improve on, and you go from week to week. The biggest thing is – again this is a little bit more challenging this week because it’s a Thursday night game, you come in, you make corrections. There’s good things, there’s things you need to work on and then you try to have a good week. That’s how we approach it. It’s not a holistic view of two games and this is what happened in the first and this is what happened in the second. It’s just really about the mindset of improving every day for everybody in the organization.

Q: Hyatt seems to really take everything to heart, even speaking with me when I’m asking him questions. Has his demeanor at all impressed you? He seems to kind of get it as a younger guy.

A: Yeah, and he loves the game of football and that’s what I appreciate about him. He is competitive but he loves this game, and he works really hard at trying to improve the things that we ask him to improve on and he loves to compete.

Q: What’s going on with (outside linebacker Kayvon) Thibodeaux? He seemed to be away from the team during the waning moments yesterday. I’m not sure his production is where you guys would want it but what’s going on with him?

A: He’s got the right mindset. He’s working every day to get better. Good teammate and that’s what our focus is on each week.

Q: Is it realistic to think that (guard Ben) Bredeson can go Thursday given a concussion?

A: Yeah, he’ll be in the protocol, and we will see where that goes.

Q: How difficult is it, you put an offensive line together through training camp and all of the sudden all the parts are moving. How difficult is that for a team to go through that this early?

A: That’s why we practice them at a lot of different spots. So, people are ready to play when they are called upon.

Q: Do you think (tackle) Andrew (Thomas) has a shot Thursday?

A: I’d say with really all the guys, like I said before, not having many live practices, we’ll evaluate them every day and take it right up to game time.

Q: How did (offensive lineman Marcus) McKethan grade out yesterday in your mind?

A: I thought he did a good job, certainly things that we can improve on, but he did a good job for his first time out.

Q: How concerning are penalties right now? You guys had a ton of them on both sides in some crucial situations.

A: Something we will continue to work on. The post-snap ones or the pre-snap ones, those are the ones that you have control over. The ones during the action, you are going to have some of those. You hope to have them as minimized as you can.

Q: I wanted to ask you about the rotation of the defensive line. I know you guys made a concerted effort to come into this season looking at the snap counts for (defensive tackle) Dex(ter Lawrence II) and (defensive lineman) Leo(nard) (Williams) and you make that plan going into games. I would imagine when you do something like that, maybe there is not as much adjustment because you want to stick to the counts that you put on in the limitations, but when you reach certain circumstances, is that done by subpackages? Where you are on the field and what guys you want to be in? It seemed like at the goal line several times Dex and Leo were both out on the sideline and it would seem like you would want those guys in there on those situations.

A: I’d say one, it’s definitely by personnel packages and then two, it’s how play time. We have confidence in the guys that are playing behind those guys, (defensive lineman) A’Shawn (Robinson) and Nacho (defensive lineman Rakeem Nuñez-Roches), that’s why we signed them. We triy to keep that defensive line unit as fresh as we can.

Q: What is your level, I guess confidence is not the right word, I mean obviously (running back) Matt Breida had virtually no action yesterday until Saquon got hurt, but if he has to play a heavy load, what is your sense of what he can do for your team?

A: I think all the running backs that we have on the roster, that’s why they are on the roster, because we are confident in them. I’ve been with Matt for quite some time. He knows our system; he’s prepared every week as if he was the starter and that’s what they all need to do. I’d say all three of the guys work really hard and prepare as if they are going to play an entire game.

Q: It was unusual, the Saquon snap count was so high yesterday. Usually there is a little more distribution there. Was that just the flow of the game and the come back?

A: Yeah. He felt good. He’s obviously a competitor. Was playing well. He did a nice job.

Q: You can’t really practice these next few days. What exactly do you do on the field the next two days?

A: So, it’s really walkthrough/jog through. You’ve got to prepare hard in the meetings, and you got to treat those lighter practices with great detail and attention to the specifics of what we need to get accomplished. It’s a quick turnaround, but everybody has to play them, so that’s what we will do.

Q: If you look at social media, there are a lot of people saying with the comeback yesterday, the Giants saved the season. Do you feel like going 0-2 would have been a downhill road?

A: I don’t know. We’re not 0-2; we’re 1-1. Our mindset is to get back to work, and let’s have a good week.

Q: I know you were asked yesterday about play calling, and you said that’s something you’re always communicating with (offensive coordinator) Mike (Kafka) and that you didn’t switch it over, but what was in those conversations at halftime? Regarding the play calling, what did you guys actually talk about?

A: It’s really the same thing when you go in. You do that throughout the first half. You don’t wait until halftime to make drastic adjustments. There were a few things we wanted to get to. Those are conversations we have every week, and everybody has an input on those things, and then you try to go out there and execute them the best you can.

Q: I know about Saquon and stuff, but is there anyone else that’s been added to the injury report that we hadn’t gotten to?

A: Yeah, I’d say it’s not too many guys. I don’t really have all of it yet. It’s early over here, they’re still talking about it. So again, with the walkthrough/jog through, this is going to be kind of a week you go all the way up till Thursday, really, to make your decisions with the players that you have.

Q: When you look at yesterday, what ticked you off the most about the game, and what were you most proud of, most happy with? How do you balance that as you look forward to the Niners?

A: Yeah, I’d say just as a coach, you look at the things that started with you that you could do better, and then you evaluate the players’ performances, whether that’s technique, fundamentals, execution of scheme, and those are the things you try to correct. You try to be consistent with that on a week-to-week basis. We competed hard for 60 minutes, but we executed better. So that’s the number one objective every week, to really go out there and have a high level of execution. Every week is tough, every team you’re playing is a good team. Every time you play, you’re going to have to go through something. And your ability to play the next play with a positive mindset and attention to detail on the specifics of what you need to do on each play to make it successful collectively is really where our focus is.

Q: With regard to (tight end) Darren Waller, we all know his skill set and whatnot, and how explosive he can be and whatnot. I’m curious, as you were getting to know him in the research process, what are the things that attracted you about his character, because obviously, he’s been through a lot of stuff off the field personally that he’s come through?

A: Sure. Of the research that I did, and the people that I’ve talked to, they spoke glowingly of him. In terms of being a professional, how important his craft is, what a good teammate he was, and the production of the player. So, I felt very comfortable with the discussions that I had with people, then when you get to know him, you formulate your own opinion, you build your own relationship with him, and he’s been fantastic for us really in every sense of the word.

Q: Do you feel like last night was just a little taste of what’s to come from him? Obviously, you’re only two games in, but he really seemed to affect the game last night.

A: Yeah, he’s been a good player. We’ve got to continue to find ways to use him and he’s got to go out there and continue to improve on the things we need him to improve on. We really take it one week at a time.

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will address the media by Zoom on Tuesday.

Sep 172023
 
Graham Gano, New York Giants (September 17, 2023)

Giants celebrate game-winning field goal – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 31 – ARIZONA CARDINALS 28…
The New York Giants at least temporarily saved their season with one of the most memorable comebacks in team history on Sunday, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 31-28 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Giants trailed the Cardinals 20-0 at halftime and 28-7 in the third quarter. Twenty-four unanswered points propelled them to the franchise’s largest comeback since the 1940s. However, the victory may have come at a price with running back Saquon Barkley suffering a potentially significant injury to his right ankle late in the game.

Following up on their 40-0 embarrassing performance against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday night, the Giants continued to look dreadful in the first half against the Cardinals on both offense and defense.

How bad was it?

New York’s five first-half possessions resulted in five first downs, 81 total yards, three punts, one interception, and the half ending with a sack of quarterback Daniel Jones. Meanwhile, Arizona’s five offensive possessions resulted in 16 first downs, 241 total yards, a missed field goal, two touchdowns, and two field goals. At the break, the lifeless Giants were all-but-dead, trailing 20-0.

The Giants received the football to start the second half. After a touchback on the kickoff, all it took was three plays for New York to finally get on the scoreboard for the first time this season. Jones completed a 58-yard pass to wide receiver Jalin Hyatt down to the Arizona 17-yard line. Two plays later, Jones ran around left end for a 14-yard touchdown. Cardinals 20 – Giants 7.

That momentum was short lived as four minutes later, the Cardinals extended their lead 28-7 after an 8-play, 75-yard drive ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Joshua Dobbs and then a 2-point conversion. It was Arizona’s fifth consecutive scoring drive of the game.

Back came the Giants with a 75-yard drive of their own, this one taking 12 plays and ending with a 1-yard touchdown run by Barkley. On this possession, Jones completed a 29-yard pass to wide receiver Darius Slayton and ran for 13 yards on 3rd-and-12. Cardinals 28 – Giants 14.

The New York defense started off a bit shaky again late in the third quarter, giving up two first downs, including a 16-yard pass play on 3rd-and-11. But the defense stiffened at the New York 44-yard line and the Cardinals punted early in the fourth quarter.

The Giants drove for their third consecutive touchdown on the next series, which travelled 80 yards in 13 plays. Jones connected with Slayton for 15 yards and tight end Darren Waller for 25 on the first two plays. Jones also gained two yards on 4th-and-1. The drive ended with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Barkley on third-and-goal to make the score 28-21.

The Giants’ defense forced their first three-and-out on Arizona’s next possession and the New York offense started their fourth drive of the second half at their own 36-yard line with 7:31 to play. Jones scrambled for 15 yards on the first snap and then followed that up with a 31-yard pass to Hyatt to the Arizona 18-yard line. On 2nd-and-11, Jones connected with Waller for 13 yards to the 6-yard line. However, a touchdown run by Jones was nullified due to an offensive holding penalty on right tackle Evan Neal. After a 5-yard run by Barkley, Jones threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins on 2nd-and-goal. The game was now tied at 28-28 with 4:25 to play.

Aided by two false start penalties on the Cardinals, the Giants’ defense forced another three-and-out and the Giants got the ball back at their own 28-yard line with 2:31 left in the game. Barkley gained 18 yards on back-to-back passing and rushing plays. Jones then hit Slayton for 18 yards and Barkley gained 16 yards on a run. The Giants were now on the Arizona 20-yard line. Barkley lost three yards and then gained two on a play where he was hurt. Running back Matt Breida picked up five yards on 3rd-and-11 to set up place kicker Graham Gano’s game-winning 34-yard field with 19 seconds left.

The Cardinals did gain 19 yards on the first play of their final possession. But they were at their own 39-yard line with nine seconds left on the clock. The game ended after two more deep incompletions.

Jones finished the game 26-of-37 for 321 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception (which was off of the hands of Barkley). He also ran the ball nine times for 59 yards. Waller caught six passes for 76 yards. Slayton had 62 yards on three catches and Hyatt 89 yards on two catches. Barkley carried the ball 17 times for 63 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, the Giants allowed 379 yards, including 151 yards rushing. For the second game in a row, the defense had no sacks or turnovers.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated (standard elevation) RB Taiwan Jones and OLB Oshane Ximines from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.

Inactive for the game were LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring), TE Lawrence Cager, DL Jordon Riley, CB Darnay Holmes, and S Gervarrius Owens.

OG Ben Bredeson (concussion) left the game in the second half. RB Saquon Barkley potentially seriously injured his right ankle late in the game. Tellingly, Barkley did not address the media after game. X-rays were reportedly negative.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Brian Daboll and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Sep 152023
 
Andrew Thomas, New York Giants (August 22, 2021)

Andrew Thomas – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Every player on the 53-man roster practiced on Friday. “Everybody’s practicing, and we’ll reevaluate after practice,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll.

WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), TE Darren Waller (hamstring), LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), OT Matt Peart (elbow), OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring), LB Cam Brown (ankle), CB Deonte Banks (calf), CB Cor’Dale Flott (hamstring), S Gervarrius Owens (hamstring), and PK Graham Gano (ankle) were limited in practice.

“I talk to (Thomas) every day,” said Daboll. “So today, he said he feels a little bit better. We’ll do a little bit more with him today… I have discussions anytime a player is injured. Obviously, I refer to the medical staff. I trust those guys implicitly, but I also want to talk to the player to see where they’re at, their head’s at, and you want to do the player right. So, if he’s ready to play, he’ll play. And if he’s not, he won’t.”

Practice squad player CB Amani Oruwariye (neck) returned to practice.

THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

  • LT Andrew Thomas (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Their is no media availability to the Giants on Saturday as the team travels to Arizona to play the Cardinals on Sunday.